Juliann Blackmore is the great great-granddaughter of Sigursteinn Oddson,
an Icelandic immigrant who came to Canada in 1883. It was only recently,
when Blackmore was reunited with her natural father, that she discovered
her Icelandic ancestry. Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir is a distant
cousin of Oddson. She and her family often talked about her Icelandic
relatives in Canada but she had very little knowledge of them prior to
the making of this film.

Blackmore's background in
television and film includes directing and producing (Can Pro award-winning
campaign for the City of Regina: CTV), reporting (CBC Winnipeg, Newsworld,
Midday), anchoring (CBC Winnipeg, CBC Switchback) to research and development
(The National: CBC / Catch the Fire, Vision TV).

Creating Saga of Hope has
brought Blackmore closer to her heritage and given her an understanding
of the difficulties and sorrows experienced by her kin who left Iceland
for a new life in Canada.